


Paperweight On My Back

by goodgirlfaith (boomersoonerash)



Series: Bite Sized Fics [21]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Childhood Friends, Community: comment_fic, Cuddling & Snuggling, Feelings, Harry is a Good Friend, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, M/M, Male Slash, Post-Break Up, Prompt Fill, Realization, Roommates, Sad Louis, Sharing a Bed, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-07-11 12:22:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7051195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boomersoonerash/pseuds/goodgirlfaith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry helps Louis with his broken heart and Louis comes to some realizations about Harry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Paperweight On My Back

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tigriswolf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tigriswolf/gifts).



> Written for the prompt: RPF, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, cuddles in the dark 
> 
> Title comes from the song Paperweight by Joshua Radin and Schuyler Fisk

Harry sighed as he sat in the living room of the apartment he shared with Louis and even in the living room Harry could hear the sad music that Louis was playing. It was music Harry knew well and he knew it only meant one thing. That Louis had been dumped by his most recent boyfriend.

Some guy whose name Harry couldn't quite remember though what he did remember was that he had hated the guy and he had known the first time Louis brought him by the apartment for Harry to meet that it wouldn't last. He hated being right, though, he was kind of glad the prick was gone. But his absence meant Louis was hurting and Harry didn't like it when Louis hurt.

It was probably a thing that came with being friends since childhood, having mothers that had grown up together and then had babies a few years apart. He had grown attached to Louis and they had always done everything together, which was why they now shared an apartment in their twenties and well Harry also hated seeing Louis hurt though he knew he couldn't do like he used to when it was a bully that was hurting Louis for his sexuality.

Then in school especially Harry had broken a few noses, sticking up for the person who was his number one. But now well that didn't work in the real world and it would be petty of him to break a guy's nose just because they had dumped Louis and hurt him.

Shaking his head, Harry stood from the couch, heading down the hallway and into the room where Louis was though it was dark and Harry couldn't quite see Louis.

"Lou?" he asked softly as his eyes adjusted as he opened the door a bit more, spotting a faint form on Louis' bed thanks to the light filtering in through the open doorway.

"On my bed," Louis answered confirming what Harry had suspected the minute he saw the faint form on Louis' bed. "Are you coming to gloat that Franklin and I broke up?" he asked sounding a bit bitter. "I know you never liked him."

Harry had to bite his lip again as he slowly walked over to Louis' bed, doing his best not to fall down since it was still partially dark in the room. "Why would I gloat?" he asked once he finally reached the bed and he moved to lay down beside Louis who he could now see better thanks to the moonlight coming through the window.

"Because you never liked Franklin," Louis said repeating the same fact as before. "So you have to be happy that he broke up with me."

"I never liked him, that much is true but I'd never gloat," Harry frowned as he reached out to pull Louis close to him and even when he was satisfied with how close Louis was Harry didn't let him go. "I know you're hurting Lou and I don't like seeing you hurt so I wouldn't gloat."

Louis laughed at that comment though to Harry it sounded more bitter and sad than it did happy. "I really thought he was the one Harry," he sighed as he buried his head into Harry's neck. "I mean we dated for a year and we had met each others families. He was even talking about us getting an apartment and me moving in with him."

Harry who had been listening to Louis fell silent at that because all of that had been news to him and he didn't know why but it kind of hurt him. To know that Louis had thought that Franklin was the one and that Louis had been considering moving out and leaving him alone. It wasn't a thought Harry liked, having to think of living without Louis.

"Then what changed?" Harry finally asked his voice coming out soft.

"He realized I could and would never leave you," Louis answered and when he spoke Harry had to shiver as Louis' breath hit his neck. "Or that's what he said anyway."

Going silent again Harry held Louis a bit tighter and well maybe now he was holding Louis because he was the one feeling sad. Sad because it seemed like Louis could just up and leave him and be fine with it, when in the end Harry knew he could never do that to Louis because deep down he loved him. Though of course he hadn't told him that because he was sure Louis hadn't felt the same way.

"So you could leave me?" Harry asked and he almost wished he hadn't. Wished he could take back his words that were now out there. "You'd be okay leaving me one day for some guy and settling down with them?"

Louis heaved a sigh before moving his head up and after he did, he locked eyes with Harry. It was something that Harry wished he hadn't done because he didn't want to look into Louis' eyes when Louis hurt him more than he was already feeling.

"No, I could never leave you," Louis answered and his words made Harry feel as if his heart had stopped beating and maybe it had. Maybe he'd find out at any moment now that he was dead. "I could never leave you and that scares me," he said before sighing again. "Stupid huh?" he asked with that hint of bitterness again. "Being upset over Franklin when he was right all along."

"Y...you just wanted him to be the one," Harry told Louis though his words sounded foreign to himself. Mainly because he still felt like he had to be dead right now. "You're just upset because he wasn't your one."

Louis laughed again as he continued to look at Harry, "But obviously that means you're my one Harry. If I can't leave you then you are my one and I shouldn't be mourning what I lost with some other guy."

Harry had to pause before answering Louis because a part of him had to think over his answer and make sure it was the right one and well it did feel right to him at least.

"But you loved him Lou," Harry spoke as he gave Louis a smile though he was sure his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "You're allowed to love more than one person and you're just now realizing that you love me so you're allowed to mourn the love you had for Franklin. You're allowed that."

Louis just looked at Harry for the longest time and Harry was a bit afraid that maybe even though his words had seemed right to him that they had been the wrong ones for Louis. At least that had been the case until Louis returned his smile and at least one of their smiles finally reach their eyes because Louis' eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.

It was the first time tonight that Harry had seen him so happy and well maybe it sort of helped dissolve any sad feelings that Harry had, had as well. Louis just seemed to have that affect on him. When he was happy then Harry could be happy too.

"You're too good for me sometimes H," Louis said before leaning down to leave a kiss on Harry's lips and while it was chaste it still somehow made Harry's heart skip a beat.

It also rendered him speechless even after Louis had moved away and went back to cuddling into him. A cuddle that somehow had turned into Harry being the little spoon and Louis the big one just like every other time they cuddled.

Though Harry didn't complain about it just like Louis wasn't complaining about the silence between them and so Harry figured he was content with everything too, at least for now anyway. Eventually they'd have to talk more about the kiss and their feelings though they'd probably do that when they moved from the bed and the lights were turned on but for now both were just going to lay in the darkness and hold each other a bit longer.


End file.
